Michfest 40: Off Land, Opening Day & a Little Herstory (Part 2)

Tuesday August 4, 2015
In all the years I had been to Fest (this year being my 9th) I had never left the land during the festival at all. It’s not rare for women to go for beer and wine runs, snack runs, or even thrifting for a cool outfit for some special occasion or another on the land. At Fest, you never know when you might be called on and need to look your outdoor fly best. This year I hatched a plan to leave and go hang with the boys for a while. It just so happened that Living Colour was playing with Aerosmith in Grand Rapids and I just knew I had to go. Of course I’ve seen Living Colour many times, but I had never seen Aerosmith! I didn’t know how I was going to get to the show. I didn’t have a car on the land so when I first hatched the plan I didn’t know how it would work, but I needed it to work.

Just a little background in case you are not clear why I could and wanted to make this happen. It’s because Vernon Reid of Living Colour produced my forthcoming record. So this is how I came into tickets with such ease.

One day before Fest, while on the phone with Shirley, she says, “Why don’t you ask Sharon if you can borrow her car?” Now see, this is the thing about Fest and the people there that I need you to understand. In the real world that would have been a crazy idea. Someone driving your car, and you’re out of state, and the venue is at least four hours total there and back and you are not on their insurance? Oh Hell Nah! But in Michigan, Oh Hell Yeah! When I asked Sharon she just said yes. No questions, just yes! I asked her if she wanted to be my plus 1 for the show, but she didn’t want to leave the land at all that week, which I get. So I asked LaFrae and got one more ticket so my friend Allison (my former college roommate who lives in Grand Rapids) could come too! Everything was a go; well kind of. We had to get LaFrae out of one Chix rehearsal, which proved to be much easier than I thought it would be and then we were headed into Area 51. Me in my pink Stetson once again and LaFrae in her 10 gallon hat. Rock n’ Roll Baby!

That night turned out to be pretty amazing! Besides seeing Living Colour and Aeorsmith who were both off the chain, we also got to meet Bret Michaels of Poison! Now that was a surprise! Although Vernon knew we were coming, Will, Doug and Corey (the rest of the band) did not so we surprised them, which was fun! We took some pics in the green room and then headed out to see the Aerosmith show, but not before getting a staggering wave from Joe Perry. Now that was a rock ‘n roll moment! Ha! Crazy.

The Area 51 Crew!

Me & Vernon!

Sadly we didn’t get to meet any of the members of Aeorsmith because the LC crew had to leave early because they had to catch a crazy early flight in the morning, but we still had the best time ever and one of the best seats in the house. But as much fun as I had, I was so happy to be heading back to the land. Everyone seemed real strange out on the world on that day. Area 51 is real. That night energetically felt like the Wild West.

Side Note: On the last night of the tour in Canton, OH, Vernon delivered my girl Kelly Horrigan’s package of a feather and leather armband to Steven Tyler. I may not have gotten a chance to meet him, but that was a big score!

Steven Tyler with his custom Kelly Horrigan Handmade!

Wednesday August 5, 2015: Opening Day
Sounds like baseball in a way. Opening Day. It’s like the Goddess screamed “Play Ball!” and we lined up the batters. But like in all sports there is the pre-season and that time for us is sound check. But not just any sound check, a sound check that takes so song that it damn near ends right before we are called for the show to begin! That’s just how it is and it’s OK. It’s just what it is. It is OK right? LOL. I had missed rehearsal for one of the songs in the Opening due to my LC/Aerosmith jaunt, but I knew I would be able to catch up.

Reina, Teresa, Gina, Nedra, Vicki! Sound check! 

Judith reached out a couple of weeks before about singing “Kind and Generous” by Natalie Merchant along with Gina Breedlove, Teresa Trull and Reina Williams.  Since I didn’t make rehearsal, sound check was my rehearsal. As much as I talk about how long this sound check process is, I’m so glad it happened so I could be ready for it all. For what you ask? Well, when we got to the chorus of the song women started running, walking and rolling out from behind stage with signs saying things like, “Thank You Workers,” “Thank You Nutloaf,” “Thank You Carps,” “Thank You Sweat Lodge,” and the list went on as women danced down the aisles and down the catwalk. What??? Too Much! We go through the song and somehow I don’t break down, but then here comes Staceyann with her damn poem! Damn you Staceyann! {Read "Rebirth for Michfest" by Staceyann Chin} I was doing so good and then the water works. We are all on the side of the stage listening to her, hanging on to every word, and we…were…a…mess! A straight up mess! Ha! I was so glad I heard that piece right then and not only at the opening. Really I would have fell out. When sound check for opening ended I was totally clear on what this week was going to be. Before arriving at Fest I was calling it CryFest 2015 or ManicFest 2015 (because I knew the emotions were going to way up and way down). It lived up to all of those things and maybe more.

Thank You! 

Staceyann Chin!

Read "Rebirth for Michfest" by Staceyann Chin

Yaniyah & Aleah: Love

Opening dress and shoe game! 

The Opening was an OPENING. There was joy and tears and laughter and sobbing and smiles and hiding the face and dancing and broken hearts and new love it was all there. All wrapped into a moment that we knew was the beginning of the end. I heard that Elvira broke down on the Acoustic stage the day before as she realized that it would be her last time hosting there. She called it “Battlestar Acoustica” and we gladly rode the ship. The water works were on, but so was the stuffing down of feelings. The declarations of, “I’m not processing this with anyone this week so don’t even start!” and “I just want to be present and enjoy this,” were abound. I can totally dig that. I didn’t want to spend my whole week breaking things down. I would rather just sit in my denial and be “happy.”

The Opening had its usual flair, but this time it was laced with a huge weight of sadness wrapped in gratitude. At some point I was hugging Hanifah and wiping tears from both our eyes. I wouldn’t be there without her. We came in, while simultaneously on our way out, in a blaze of glory. Elvira said it best when she said, “Thank You Blaze of Glory” and “Fuck you, Blaze of Glory!” That about sums it up. Gratitude.

After the Opening Ceremony, Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie took to the stage. I think this particular set was the beginning of me really thinking about the legacy of this festival. Teresa played at the first festival (along with Linda Tillery [who also produced her album], Holly Near and Meg Christian) and although she hadn’t attended all 40 years it has been part of her life that long. It started to really come into perspective for me what this particular festival has really done for female artists and how it really helped to galvanize an audience for women artists who were outside of the mainstream. Women who were lesbians/queer/feminist, the “Sister Outsider,” who chose to sing or speak the struggles of women, the love of women and the evils of the world. This festival gave them a space. I learned that there were a few other women’s festivals happening around the time that Michfest started. Some were one-offs like Boston and San Diego, but then there were others like Campfest, East Coast Lesbians’ Festival, New England Women’s Music Retreat (NEWMR), Sisterfire, the West Coast Women’s Music and Comedy Festival, Northampton Lesbian Festival, Gulf Coast Women’s Festival, Women’s Jazz Festival, all happening in the 70s and 80s, and of course National Women’s Music Festival (National) that still goes on today. But I’m just gonna go ahead and say that Michigan was different. A little bias? Sure, but it’s my blog so…   Lisa Vogel and her sister Kristie kicked off this crazy venture as teens and it is one that Lisa admittedly said she never thought she would do again after the first year.

Teresa Trull. The beginning and the end.

Teresa and Barbara have been playing together for a long time and their friend Vicki Randle also jumped on the set on bass for a song or two. According to Teresa she has played with Vicki off and on for over 40 years! Now that is a long and enduring friendship. Suddenly it dawned on me. As I was boo-hooing about my own festival loss, I hadn’t really thought about those who grew up there. Teresa, Barbara, Vicki, Toshi, Linda, Connie, Ferron, Judith, Shirley, Amoja (may she rest in power), and the list goes on and on. I hadn’t even reached my 10th year, but what about those who were their 30+, damn even 20+, that is a lifetime of once a year meetings and greetings, love, friendship and intimate relationships that saved lives. Well at least I know it saved mine year after year. Refuge.

Back to the stage, Teresa and Barbara concluded a sweet set with a mix of both of their tunes. I was supposed to be done for the night so I changed out of the dress I wore for Opening and back into my “street clothes.” As I said, I thought I was done till Skip the Needle came on.

For those of you who don’t know this band I urge you to get up on it. The crew is Vicki Randle, Kofy Brown, Shelley Doty and Katie Colpitts. Vicki says it’s her fantasy high school band and I totally understand what she means. Some of you might remember the R&B band Switch, well they were named that because of the fact that they could switch instruments during the show, well this band could probably do that on the instrument front (cuz they all play another instrument besides the one in the band), but instead they are switching up the lead vox from song to song and every single one of them is killin’! Then Kofy had the nerve to come from behind the drum kit and rhyme her ass off! Say what?! As Hanifah would say, 
“Say word!”

Skip the Needle

The Skip show began my run of crashing sets on the Night Stage. I didn’t think it was going to quite go down like that on this set, but Julie Wolf (who was sitting in with Skip) brought me on stage with her and I can’t say no to Julie! I honestly was just going to dance on the side next to her on the keys, but Vicki wasn’t having it. So next thing I know I’m out front with Katie, Vicki and Shelley singing their song “Stand Up.” Of course it wasn’t long before Marcelle was on stage with us and it was a party!

Seeing as how it was Opening Night and the last Fest, all of the sets on Night Stage ran extra long. Really Elvira did her best to drag out the Opening so everything else was behind. But the end of the Skip set was epic with Katie just leaning back into the crowd with her guitar still on and attached to the amp, but seamlessly she took it off and handed it to Shelley just in time to be lifted away by the crowd. Rock AND Roll yo! It was a great official start to the week, but now the real countdown was on. Breathe…

The Womyn

The blaKbüshe Recording Begins. We're Going in!

The band!

I know that many of you are waiting for my super long yet very detailed account of Michfest this year. I started writing it and then all hell broke loose. Well at least that’s what it felt like over here. But while dealing with the things that hell broke loose I realized that there is something else about to happen that I have to share with folks before my Fest blog is complete. I can’t do anything short and sweet when it comes to this blog, but in this case I will at least give you the good news at the top and full story at the bottom. Well, here goes nothing.

Vernon and I. Beginnings...

Tomorrow, yes this Wednesday Sept. 3rd, Shelley Nicole’s blaKbüshe are on our way to the studio to start recording the next project! As you know this album being produced by Grammy winning guitarist, producer, super cool cat, and just plain old good human being Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Masque, Yohimbe Brothers, Spectrum Road, and many more! Now that that’s out of the way, here are my thoughts on this whole thing.

My first baby

 In 2003 I released my first album, she who bleeds... . It was one of the most challenging ventures and adventures of my life. Releasing that album was like giving birth, hence the title of the album. Sure women and blood can go in a lot of directions, but for me it was both that of the monthly blood and that of the hypothetical blood that I shed to make that first baby come to life.

After the release of the first album I put everything I had into making it work. Kind of like the first kid right? You want do everything perfectly. You want to make sure they are well taken care of, so in that spirit I sent that CD everywhere. I sent it to festival submissions, radio stations, press outlets, called in favors, gave them away to folks I thought could help get my baby heard, I pressed up THOUSANDS of copies (cuz that’s how we did back in the day) because I knew it was going to be a hit and my little baby made a little noise, but then I started to get hip to the game.

I was and am an independent artist. I chose this route. No one has ever offered me a record deal in the sense that we learn about in the fairytale books. I’ve never had anyone ever tell me they were going to “make me a star.” That is not my journey; at least not so far. I know those people. I have plenty of friends who have seen the mountaintop, but couldn’t get over for one reason or another and then come to the realization that they had to get on the good foot and do it their damn selves.

As time went by I realized that my thousands of CDs were not going to be sold in a flash, but I had some good people in my corner; one of the best being Daddy-O of Stetsasonic who was a Motown exec at the time of our meeting, who got on board as my manager. To this day he is the only manager I ever had and he was deeply in my corner. But some of the other help I enlisted really wasn’t helping at all. I took in so much advice from so many different people that it all started to sound like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons. I wish I had $20 for all the people that told me I didn’t fit into a particular box that black folks are supposed to be in to get ahead in this game. Well neither did the rest of my wild and wonderful friends, but here we are, and there I was. Outside, and not sold on what life would be like on the inside of the industry. So I stayed on the outs and rolled with the waves of it all. Daddy-O rolled with me and it was a ride. Thank you sir.

Daddy-O! One of my first believers.

Between 2003 and 2007 I attempted to record another album. In fact I think I attempted twice. What seems like a simple process in the eyes of those on the outside looking in is anything but. Most people on the outside watch a little too much Behind the Music or those types of shows to really understand what it takes to make an album on your own. Anyway, in 2007 I played a Brooklyn Pride event at the now sadly defunct club, Southpaw. As luck or really just fate or goodwill would have it, the club made amazing quality multi-track recordings of shows for artists for $50! Multi-track people! That was amazing. Southpaw had some of the best sound in the city. I don’t think I ever saw a bad show there. Well, we played that show and now I had this multi-track so I said, hey, I’m going to put out a live album. I felt like my studio attempts were just not happening for financial and other reasons.

So I have this recording and I say to myself, I’ll take it to one of my good friends, have him mix it and then I’ll put it out. Boom! Well once again, the slow hand of the indie music biz struck again. I will take the blame for my hand in some of the slow process. I really love my people. I know how talented so many of them are. So when the slow down started to happen with my friend I just decided to keep giving him time to pull himself together, when what I should have really done was just pull the project from him and find someone else. Sometimes, many times really, my big heart gets in the way. My want for everyone to win can be a drag sometimes. It’s taken me a long time to realize that everyone is not going to win the way I think they will. Meaning, everyone has a life’s journey and purpose. Maybe their path is not part of yours the way you think it will or should be. It doesn’t mean they won’t win at their game of life, but it might mean they are not part of your path the way you think they should be. That can be challenging to reconcile. It took me probably more time than it should have to wrangle that project back from my friend and take it to Atlanta for another friend and producer Darren Benjamin aka Daz-I-Kue to get that thing off the ground. Daz is from the UK and I had been a fan of his before becoming a friends. I have to honestly say I think I just injected myself into his life because I admired him so much. I wouldn’t see The Quick & Dirty EP completed until 2009, but with it came two amazing remixes of “blaK Girls” produced by Daz and Lionel Sanchez, Jr. and an remix of “Dance (Flying Home)” from my first album by my #1 supporter and producer/DJ extraordinaire, Ian Friday.

My Second Baby

Daz-i-Kue

Ian Friday

So now I’ve got this live album. I wasn’t even going to do an album release for it, but I was convinced otherwise so we did it up big. It was an amazing night with a ton of spectacle. I will say this about myself. I do know how to put on event on a tight budget and make it look like there was a lot of loot involved. I know I’m not alone in this. We have to be crafty in this town to pull things off.

I have been riding The Quick & Dirty EP since 2009 and once again I never thought it would take this long to start this process again. Since The Quick & Dirty came out I released it again as The Quick & Dirty EP: More Dirt and V. Jeffery Smith and I added a new song to the project and and Lionel added a remix of my song “Give it to Me” for the new pressing. I also released a lyric video for “Punanny Politixxx” produced by another musical genius in my life, Jeff Jeudy, that I wrote during the Obama re-election campaign. Also as many of you know one of my biggest stopgaps came when I was poised to produce my album with Toshi Reagon. I did an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the project and then my voice went all haywire. I will not recap all that again. You can go back and read the blog [In Gratitude... : June 25, 2012] if you like.

Toshi Reagon. Thank you!

When the smoke started to clear I knew that some things had to change. I knew that I had to change the kind of singer that I have been, dare I say all my life. I knew that I never wanted to lose my voice like that again. I knew I needed to work on my mind and my body so I did just that. I knew that you were waiting on an album from me, but I had to be OK with letting you wait a little longer. Thank you for your patience. Thank you so much for standing by me during this growth process. I have learned so much about myself and about how people show up, or not.

I am not just a member of my own band, I am also a member of an amazing band called Burnt Sugar. I’ve had the pleasure to travel the world with them and now they are my family. I’ve been in large choirs, but this is the biggest band I’ve ever been in. Once you are part of Burnt Sugar you are always part of Burnt Sugar. You can expect a call at any time. It’s just like that.

I have been in musical circles with Vernon Reid for a long time, but it wasn’t until 2011 that we really started to get to know each other. Mikel, one of my Burnt Sugar fam, asked him to sit in on the Burnt Sugar/David Bowie show at Lincoln Center. I think he was just supposed to play on one song, but then he fell in love with the project and with band and just like that Vernon was a part of Burnt Sugar. After that, Vernon set about to record the band doing those Bowie tunes from the show. Yes there is a recording out there, but I’ll only say this about it. We recorded this project just as I returned from headlining Michfest in 2011. It was the last thing I recorded before having to shut everything down to deal with my voice. What a ride.

In 2012 Vernon conducted Burnt Sugar doing the music of Steely Dan, which is an amazing show. We did it originally at Lincoln Center and then at various venues in NYC. Then we got the call that we were taking it to Paris! Yeah, we were going back to Paris. So in the winter of 2013 we went back and I was sick as a dog. You can read my Paris blog [Next Stop Paris! :February 18, 2013] for those details, but I will recap one thing that I didn’t put in my blog. When we got off stage that night and were walking back to the dressing rooms, Vernon rolled up next to me and said, quite matter of fact, “You’re next.” Me a bit confused asked, “Next for what?” He said, “Next to conduct this band.” Now that totally came out of the blue. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I didn’t think I had done anything to warrant that statement. I mean honestly I was just glad to make it through that show because I had been so sick. It would take me some time to realize that what he was really saying was, “I see you.”

Burnt Sugar in Paris!

As 2013 forged ahead I knew that I needed to start raising money for my project again even though I had no idea who was going to produce it. So that’s when I did the blaKbüshe Wellness Days and the silent auction. I just took that money and squirreled it away for whenever the time was right to pull it out. As I thought about producers a few people came to mind and I had a few conversations with different people, but nothing would stick until the day I decided to ask Vernon.

I had prepared a whole speech for him about why he should produce me. I was convinced that I would have to convince him. Well I was totally wrong. I asked him, he said yes and then started to tell ME why he wanted to do it. OK, now that was totally unexpected. To say I was elated was an understatement.

Now we are at the beginning of this long story. What I mean is that on Wednesday, September 3rd 2014 we are going into the studio to start recording the album. Yes, after I don’t know how long, it is about to begin. I have been saying that I feel a bit like D’Angelo, minus the drama, because it’s been over 10 years since my first studio album. I know things take the time they take, but I’m going to do my level best not to have this take 10 years again.

I’m so excited about this. I’m also feeling very emotional. Those folks who are my good friends know you might get a random, “I love you” text or call from me at any time. Yes I’m that person. Sometimes my emotions just take over and I have to tell people how they have impacted my life or that I’m just feeling them in that moment. I can’t believe that tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd, 2014, I am starting this process again. I never got off the path, but this studio thing is such a thing. LOL

I still have fantasies of taking my band upstate NY to some fabulous barn and being there for a week or two with nothing else to think about, but making music and laughing together and clinking some glasses and having a good time. I know some people still make records like that, but I haven’t had that luxury yet. So until then, we will do the best we can and make the most of the time we have together in that bubble that is the recording studio.

In this moment I am remembering the times with my first producer and friend John Meredith. I am remembering the innocence of those moments we had together making my first album. He believed in me and all he wanted to do was make an album. Recording music was/is his passion. I knew nothing about making a record. I put all my trust in him, but it was a challenge. I am a live show kind of girl. Meaning I feed off the audience to do what I do and at that time I had only been in a vocal booth maybe once in my life. The road to that first album was quite the journey. Bless John for walking with me through my insecurities at that time. I know this time will be so different. I’ve had more experience, etc. But I can’t forget where I’ve come from. I can’t forget all those living and some who have passed who believed in me. Lighters up for Kim and Zook...

Here we are people. We are walking thought the door once again. I don’t know what’s on the other side of this one, but I’m ready for whatever this next phase has in store. So, before you start asking a lot of questions about when it’s dropping, slow down and know that it’s coming. The baby arrives in its own time. We will not be inducing labor. When we have named the baby I’ll let you know. In fact, when there is anything to tell you, I’ll let you know. In the mean time know this. The fetus is growing. Ashe!

Me and Vernon at the Crossroads...

Afropunk: Put Down the Hate (Part 2)

Sunday morning I got up and checked out the Afropunk schedule. There were only a few bands that I wanted to see, but I knew once I got over there I was going to be there because the park is in the boonies of Brooklyn. Well not totally, but it’s a bit of a hike on foot.

The first band that I wanted to see was The Coup. I can’t remember the last time I saw the Coup, but I think that first time I saw them was when I first met the MC Medusa. I was still working at VIBE magazine and was asked to sit on a panel about hip-hop at Oberlin College. My stint at VIBE was a long time ago so clearly it’s been a minute for The Coup and I. Ha! Sounds like a musical. Anyway, they were scheduled to hit at the festival at 2:45pm. The other folks I wanted to see included Big Freedia, DEATH and Living Colour. So I knew I would be there from 2:45 to at least 8pm. Questlove and Chuck D were also on that night, but I was trying to get to Soul Summit (this is on outdoor dance party) too. I had lofty goals that day for real. LOL

I headed to the park and as I was walking toward the entrance I heard someone call my name. The person calling me recognized me from American Candy. Turns out he was working one of the donation entrances, which were well before the main entrance. He just walked me in so I didn’t have to go all the way around. Nice! I headed toward the vendors to find my girl Kelly Horrigan. Yes the same Kelly from the Michfest blogs. When I found her booth she wasn’t there so I just headed over to the stage to find a spot to check out The Coup. I found a little bit of real estate and just as I got over there they introduced The Coup!


Ok first of all my man Boots Riley came out in some leather fringe pants that just rocked my world. I was like, “Damn I need some of those immediately!” Of course he’s been wearing his signature afro and chops as long as I can remember and they proceeded to kill it! He started one of the songs by saying, “This next song is one that was sung on the slave ships, it was passed down through the slave quarters becoming a negro spiritual. I heard Paul Robeson sing it and then I took it and changed the music and the words and called it something else. Here it is!” I was cracking up! Everyone was hanging on his every word and then we all started laughing and jammin’ at the same time. It was awesome! Then they had the nerve to bring out the woman power and introduce a beautiful sista named Silk E! Yes, hunny! Silk E was amazing! She was way more than a backing vocalist. Way more! I mean, weave down her back, some cool spandex pants and a killin’ blue tank top with just enough sparkle and she rocked! She danced, sang her face off and then she sang her own song so she could really open up. That woman was singing on her knees and all that. It was dope! “Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Coup from Oakland, California!” Yes you are!

The Coup

Boots Riley of The Coup!

When they finished I headed back to Kelly’s booth and this time she was there with my girl Shira as well! I really love Kelly’s work. I recently did a video with her to showcase her massive talent. She put me in her asudeM/Medusa costume and the rest is well, the rest. [Check the Seen & Herd blog]




I hung out at her tent for a while and then took a walk around. I had time to kill before Death and Big Freedia hit their respective stages.

The time soon arrived for Death so I headed back over to the main stage. As I was standing there waiting for the band to start I saw two of the young ladies who were at my show the night before. One of them came over to me and said she didn’t think she would see me again so soon and was going to wait until I emailed her through my mailing list to reach out. She seemed so nervous to talk to me, which was making me nervous. LOL! No, not really, but I just noticed. Anyway, she told me that she was an aspiring songwriter and she was really moved by my show the night before and wanted to know if I would be interested in mentoring her. Me? Really? I didn’t say that, but that was my first thought. Then my second thought, but my first response was, of course! We exchanged information and we’ll see what happens from there. Turns out that was one of the first important moments of the day for me.

Soon Death hit the stage and they were amazing! At that point I had not seen the documentary about them; I would see it later that night. But I didn’t need to see it to feel the passion they have for the music. If you are not familiar with Death, they are a band originally out of Detroit. They are, I dare say, one of the first punk bands ever not just the first black punk band. They predate so many of the other punk bands folks know and love, but never got their due until now. Death got their start in 1973. Yes you read it correctly and just now are they are finally where they belong. Kudos to their sons, and all those who helped bring their music to light. They have an amazing story.

Death @ Afropunk

Bass!

Guitar!

After Death I walked over to the other stage to catch Big Freedia. On the other side I ran into my  friends Sol and Lorraine before trying to find a spot to watch. I’ve never seen Big Freedia in person, but I was expecting a whole lot of ass on the stage because he is the Queen of twerking. There was someone on stage rhyming when I got there who wasn’t very exciting and there really wasn’t a show. So I have to admit I got a little discouraged and left. I was thinking that it was him and later,  after seeing some photos I learned that it wasn’t. Damn! Oh well, I missed Big Freedia. My bad. I don’t know who that person was before him, but I wish I had known for real that it wasn’t who I was waiting for.

Me and the ever talented Sol at Afropunk

After walking away from that I headed back to the big field and just wandered through the vendors again for a while. It was going to be a bit before Living Colour came on. As I walked around I ran into my friend Neycha and her crew. We were talking when all of a sudden we heard something really cool coming from the stage. So we walked over and there was this brotha on stage with three white boys. They were called Vintage Trouble and this brotha was doing some serious work on stage. He was channeling Al Green, James Brown and Sam Cooke all at once! Yes ya’ll it was that deep. There was some serious Pentecostal preaching going on! The brotha sweat through his suit and had the nerve to come out in the audience to boot. Living Colour was up next and knowing what I know about Corey Glover I knew that the battle of the Pentecostal singing preacher was on. The gauntlet has been thrown down. Haha!!! Vintage Trouble was really great and fun. All church, all the time!




Vintage Trouble left some fire on the stage, but we all knew the inferno was coming. Since today was my day to be a fan I really went in. By the time Living Colour was ready to hit the stage we were joined by Liza Jessie Peterson and soon Imani Uzuri was in the crowd with us too. All of us were in full fan mode, but the funny thing about it is, we all knew the guys on stage.

Liza, Neycha and the top of my head! 

Right before the show started, Vernon looked out into the audience and recognized those of us that he knew and those that he didn’t. He looked out and opened his heart to the moment. Right then and there I did the same thing. I took that moment to take stock in this musical journey that I’m on. I stopped and took a moment to realize that I know those guys on stage and there was time in my life when that was not even close to being the case.  Not even a thought in my mind that it would ever happen.

I will never forget that day in 1989. It was April 1st and I only know this because I Googled it before writing this post. LOL! I’m good, but not that good. Anyway, it was April 1st 1989 when Living Colour appeared on Saturday Night Live and performed “Cult of Personality,” and that is the song they opened their Afropunk set with.  Also this year is the 25th Anniversary of their Album Vivid and they have been opening all over the world with that song.  So as my heart and mind opened as song began I was taken back.

When Living Colour appeared on SNL I was in college and let me tell you it was an event. I was in school in Ohio so for us seeing Living Colour on Saturday Night Live was equivalent to when the folks saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, but maybe even better because they were black! Now black folks had been on SNL, but not black folks doing rock! We, meaning a crew of black students, assembled in the Black Cultural Center to watch SNL and waiting for that moment is one I will never forget. They were introduced and then Vernon started in with that  guitar riff  and it was ON! There they were and there was Corey in the damn Body Glove wet suit and multi-colored flying locks. All of them were sporting locked hair, short and long, but locked or twisted and damn it if they weren’t rockin’ hard and they were black and young and black!  We were glued to the TV and it was happening and it was amazing. It was a time when you had to be tuned in because you may never see that joint again or you would have to hope they would show it in reruns or maybe someone would tape it on their VCR. But pretty much back then, you had to be there or you missed out and I was not missing out! As I watched these young men do their thing I would have never imagined that any of them would know me and I really would never have thought that they would be my friends. How did this happen? Again I’m not telling this story to name drop or big myself up. I was really just having a moment. My heart was open for sure.

Living Colour @ Afropunk

That night Corey sang “Open Letter (To a Landlord)”, which resonates even more in the every quickly gentrifying Brooklyn. As I walked around Afropunk that day I looked up at the neighboring project buildings. I knew that if the rumor of turning those apartments into condos or co-ops ever came to pass that the days of this festival all the other black festivals that had been moved to the far reaches of Brooklyn, out of the faces of their new white neighbors, would soon be numbered. “This is my neighborhood.”




Then I started thinking about the whole weekend. The whole reason we were all assembled in this park. I started thinking about why Vernon’s heart was so clearly open. Why I had a tear in my eye. It was all because we were here. We are here. Let me explain what I mean.

In 1989, at least in Ohio, we were hard pressed to find any black rockers. Fishbone would always come to Columbus and play at The Newport, which was right across the street from campus, and my girl Mechelle would ALWAYS be there. We had to get it in when the black rockers came to town otherwise it was R&B all day, which was cool too, but sometimes you need to take it up a notch. In 1989, it felt like the numbers were few, but look at what’s happening now. The black weird kids are everywhere and have a space to be who they want to be. I had a bit of hate for Afropunk before the weekend started, but look what happened.

I played a show on Saturday, I met a young lady who was moved by my music, she sees me on Sunday, asks if I can mentor her, and then I see the guys who are one of my many inspirations  for me to do what I do, and at least two of them are knowing or unknowingly mentors to me. It’s all full circle, but now there is a place that young people can go to find their people. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the weird kids have not always found each other. We always do. That’s one of the reasons why I came to New York and I surely found my tribe here.  But if nothing else, Afropunk is providing folks a place to hear and see black people perform music that is not necessarily in the mainstream, all in one place. If I take a step back and really look at it, it’s a wonderful thing. No Afropunk is not perfect by any stretch, but at the very least it gives young black people a space to see their reflection and know that they are alright. Let them know that there is a network out there and a place to grow their art. Let them know that it’s OK if their music doesn’t sound like Lil’ Wayne or Rihanna.

There is plenty to beef about when it comes on Afropunk. I know some of the beef first hand, but for today I’m putting down the hate and giving thanks for an amazing weekend.

Living Colour killed the show. They really blazed the stage. That band has been through a lot. They are grammy winners, they have toured the world and are still doing it, they broke up and found a way to heal and get back together, and now they are eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you see them today, you can see that they enjoy playing together and it’s not just some guys getting together on a money trip. They all have their own projects outside of the band, which is also a beautiful thing. It was the best way to end my day. Thank you Vernon, Corey, Will & Doug!

I could have stayed for Questlove and Chuck D, but I was beat and I totally missed Soul Summit, which was supposed to be my next destination. My feet were hurting and my phone was dead, but I was feeling good.

If I had a dollar for everyone who asked me that day and other days why I wasn’t playing or haven't played Afropunk I would be able to pay a couple of bills. Maybe one day blaKbüshe will play the daytime portion of the festival, but until then I’m glad I put down my sword and shield and went to the show. It was one of the best days I had all summer. Thanks Trevor I think I owe a part of it to you.

Boldaslove.us Presents: The Getaway (A 2010 Summer Mix from the New Black Imagination)

Hey Everyone,

I am one of the featured artists on the new Boldaslove.us Mixtape The Getaway! It's an incredible mix of artists from the New Black Imagination including Tamar-kali, Game Rebellion, BLK JKS, Living Colour, Janelle Monae and many more!  Some artists you may know while other will be new to you. Take a listen and download it. It's Free!  Enjoy!

Peace,
Shelley

Download the Boldaslove.us presents: The Getaway Mixtape

WRFB: Radio Free Brooklyn: It's July 6th and I got you "covered"

Hey Everyone,

It was another great night on WRFB: Radio Free Brooklyn. I kicked off another show of Covers that I love.  We have a little Prince, a little Kay Ashley and I even threw in Franz Ferdinand.  It's never a dull moment at WRFB.

Before we get to the playlist for tonight I want to let you all know that I am going to be part of two amazing shows this weekend.  Garry "Starchild" Shider, guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic passed away in June. The Black Rock Coalition and Sweet Relief are hosting tribute/fundraiser Rest in P: A Salute to Garry Shider, for his family on Saturday July 10th at the Multimedia Arts Center in Bloomfield, NJ and on Sunday July 11th at B.B. King's in NYC.  Besides myself there is an amazing lineup of artists on the bill including Living Colour, Blackbyrd McKnight, Bernie Worrell, Sophia Ramos, Dean Bowman, Jimi Hazel, Lady Miss Kier, Imani Uzuri and many, many more.  You do not want to miss this and you have two chances to be there. For tickets and more information check out www.themmac.net (for the NJ show) and www.bbkingblues.com (for the NY show).

Thanks everyone and have a great rest of the week.  Remember you can find me at WRFB: Radio Free Brooklyn Every Tuesday from 7-11pm.  Please follow WRFB on twitter @radiofreebklyn.  It's a great four hours of music. Don't miss it!

Stay Cool (literally and figuratively),
Shelley


1. Chaka Khan – “Sign 'O' The Times” on Funk This (2007) (Prince)

2. Prince – “Crimson & Clover” on LotusFlow3r (2009) (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts)

3. The Family Stand – “So Happy Together” on In a Thousand Years (Coming Sept. 2010) (The Turtles)

4. Cassandra Wilson – “Run The VooDoo Down" on Traveling Miles (1999) (Miles Davis)

5. Amy Winehouse – “Moody's Mood For Love” on Frank (2003) (James Moody)

6. George Benson – “Star Of A Story” on Give Me The Night (1980) (Heatwave)

7. Donny Hathaway – “What's Going On” on These Songs for You, Live! (1971) (Marvin Gaye)

8. Kay Ashley – “Pink Moon” on Heliotrope (2009) (Nick Drake)

9. John Mayer – “Kid A” on Bigger Than My Body EP (2003) (Radiohead)

10. Alana Davis – “32 Flavors” on Blame it on Me (1997) (Ani Difanco)

11. Matt Pond P.A. – “Holiday Road” on Winter Songs (2004) (Lindsay Buckingham)

12. Lauryn Hill – “Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You” on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998) (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons)

13. Franz Ferdinand – “Call Me (Live)” on War Child presents HEROS (2009) (Blondie)

14. Merry Clayton – “Gimme Shelter” on Gimme Shelter (1970) (The Rolling Stones)

I Got you Covered Archive! Enjoy!